Thirty-two

Simone and Moe, the guard sent to stay with her and Whisper, sat quietly, listening to the clock ticking away. The two Alphas had left two hours ago and still there was no word as to how the battle was going. Simone glanced at the female lying motionless in bed once in a while, willing her to wake up. But she did not move once.

Moe was tall with blonde hair, brown eyes and a hard face. His eyes never seemed to come out of their glare and his body never relaxed. Sometimes, Simone wondered if he was actually alive because he didn't move. It was only when his phone buzzed that he moved to answer it, then put it back in his pocket when he was finished.

Simone sighed. Standing up, she went to the window and looked out at the vast forest beyond. She saw wolves darting in and out of the trees, men stationed under the window and the bright sun being covered with clouds so dark, they were almost black.

"Simone?" she heard Reed's voice in her mind.

"I'm here."

"How's everything going?"

"Quiet. Nothing is happening yet."

"Good."

"How's the battle?"

She heard him sigh in frustration. "Not so good. We have three times the men, but they have strength. I called Thrain and Corey for backup as well as your father. Zane and I want you to take Simone to your mother's. If the guard gives you trouble, have him call Nico."

"Why mother's?"

"She's the only pack who's probably safest from all this shit. Plus, She can help Whisper. There should be a helicopter waiting on the roof of the hospital. The pilot is one of ours."

Simone bit her lip, keeping the tears at bay. "You'll let me know when it's safe, right? You won't die?"

"Don't worry, Beautiful, I'll find you."

Simone wiped her eyes and turned, seeing the guard reading his phone again. When she looked to Whisper, her heart clenched at the sight. No Luna should look like that.

The guard stood up. "We're leaving."

Simone nodded. "What do you want me to grab?"

"Whatever medication she might need on the flight, and extra oxygen." He hesitated for a moment, eyes flickering to her stomach. "If you can."

Simone got to work quickly, grabbing pain killers and bandages, plus a few other items. She dropped them all into a pack then turned to grab the oxygen tank that was waiting on standby. She went to pick it up, but nearly fell over from how heavy it was, of course, it wasn't that heavy. But she felt her strength leave her quickly from all the fast moving she did.

The guard had unhooked Whisper from all the tubes except the oxygen and lifted her into his arms when he saw Simone struggling. "Luna, let me get it. Just stay close behind me."

Feeling useless, Simone nodded. The guard picked up the tank hooked to Whisper, then grabbed the extra one in his other hand, balancing Whisper in his arms, resting her against his chest. Throughout the whole thing, she did not wake.

Moe led her out of the room and down the hall where a set of doors opened onto a stair well. He started climbing up, waiting on each landing for her to catch up. By the end three floors up, she was drenched in sweat. She opened the door for him and looked out onto the roof where there was indeed a helicopter waiting. Moe rushed Whisper over and buckled her in, securely placing the oxygen tank behind her in a safety compartment.

When he finished, he went back over for Simone. "May I carry you?" he asked.

Feeling somewhat dizzy from climbing, she nodded. He picked her up and went to the other side of the aircraft, setting her in the seat. He was about to buckle her when he remembered her stomach. Moe looked to the pilot for help, to which the pilot reached over and did the seatbelt.

"Watch Whisper and make sure the oxygen is still flowing into her body, okay?" Moe asked.

"I don't know how to hook up a new one if it runs empty," she explained.

"Don't worry about it," the pilot said. "I have oxygen masks you can slip over her face until we land." Simone nodded her understanding while the two men got in the cockpit and got ready to take off.

They just got into the air when something shot through the window near Whisper's head and out Simone's window. She stared wide-eyed at the gaping hole. "Shit!" Moe hissed.

The pilot looked back at the two windows and let out a string of curses, landing the aircraft once again. He glanced at Simone. "Can you contact our Alpha and tell him we are taking a different means of transport?"

Simone nodded. "Reed?"

As she waited for his reply, Moe and the pilot got out and started unbuckling the females. Moe got Whisper and her supplies while the pilot carried Simone. "What's wrong?"

"We're taking another means of transport."

"Why?"

"Um…" Simone looked back at the gaping hole in the window. "There's a hole in the two back windows."

She suddenly felt his anger surge when he caught her meaning. "Damn it! Okay, tell the pilot to just get you out of there. Figure out how to get to your mother's pack. Even if you must steal a jet from the nearby airport!"

She relayed the message and the pilot hurried on. Moe led them into the forest a little ways before coming to a stop. "There's a car there. It's under all the brush."

Simone was set down as the pilot uncovered the car, then helped Moe set the females inside the backseats. Moe got into the driver's seat and started the car while the pilot got in beside him. Once all doors were shut, Moe slammed on the gas pedal.

After about twenty minutes, they finally arrived at a runway where planes could be seen taking off and landing. The pilot told us to wait there while he went to question his fellow people. Moe turned to her and Whisper with a grave look. "Luna, if there is trouble while we're boarding, I'm going to stay behind. You help get Whisper out of here. She's my Luna, and I will die to protect her before anything dangerous tries to touch her. My alpha trusts me on that. I cannot break his trust."

"Why can't you just come with? By the time we're on the plane and in the air, they won't be able to catch up."

"It takes longer to set up a plane than a helicopter. If I must, I will distract them. If I do, I cannot come with you."

Simone glanced at Whisper once before nodding. "Okay. I can't keep you from your duties, but I care for you as if you were my own man. Which means I don't want you hurt."

Moe chuckled then pulled out his phone. "My Alpha's number is on here. Nico's as well. Call them when you land and tell them what why I can't answer." He glanced up behind her and tensed. "And now is my time."

Simone looked back to see five wolves running towards them. "You can't fight all them on your own!" she gasped.

"I will do my best," he whispered. The pilot returned and opened Simone's door. "I'll help you take them to the plane, but then I need to go," Moe growled. The pilot nodded understanding the situation. Hurriedly, the two men carried the women to a small aircraft and buckled them in, securing Whisper's oxygen tank. Moe looked mournfully at Whisper, then glanced at Simone with a firm nod. Then, he was gone.

The pilot started the engine and handed Simone a pair of headsets. When she put them on, she heard his voice. "We'll have to change flights halfway there, so it's going to be a long trip."

"Okay."

They started moving after a couple of minutes and Simone caught a glance of Moe fighting the enemies, somehow managing to keep them away while the plane left. They clawed, bit, scratched, and kicked at him and as the plane got into the air, she saw a wolf bite hard into Moe's neck, blood gushing out everywhere. All five wolves started charging towards the plane, but they were up too high now.

Tears streamed down Simone's face, seeing a man take the fall to protect his Luna. It was something she always hated, but was always grateful for. It meant they were loyal, meant they weren't afraid to defend their family, to defend their pack. It meant they died honorably so the rest could live to see another day.

Halfway through, as promised, they switched planes. A wolf from a different pack helped them get Whisper in and buckled, wishing them a safe flight. On that flight, Whisper's Oxygen tank went empty and the pilot explained how to put on the mask. It took several minutes, but at least the female wasn't gasping for air anymore. It scared Simone so much, she broke down. She had never been in this situation before, where someone needed her help as much as Whisper did. No one was on the brink of death before, except Reed. But he had healed quickly thanks to the mate bond they shared.

When they finally landed in her mother's pack four hours later, Simone was positive it had been the worst day of her life. She watched men carry Whisper into the hospital and lie her on a bed. She watched as the nurses checked her vitals and wrap her up in a warm blanket. Just when she thought everything was going to be fine, she watched as Whisper began to scream.